Children are dying in Gujarat due to a suspected virus, 12 have died so far; know what are the symptoms

Chandipura Virus: Six children have died in the last five days in the state due to the suspected virus. Gujarat Health Minister Rishikesh Patel gave this information. He said that six children have died in the last five days in the state due to the suspected Chandipura virus. At the same time, the number of suspected cases has increased to 12. He told that Chandipura virus causes fever, accompanied by symptoms like flu and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). It spreads through mosquitoes and sand flies etc.

12 have died so far

Health Minister Patel said, "Out of these 12 patients, four are from Sabarkantha district, three from Aravalli and one each from Mahisagar and Kheda. Two patients are from Rajasthan and one from Madhya Pradesh. They were treated in Gujarat. Six people have died due to suspected Chandipura virus in the state, but it will be clear only after the results of the investigation of the samples are out whether these deaths are due to Chandipura virus or not." He said, "Five out of the six deaths occurred in the civil hospital of Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district. All the 12 samples including eight from Sabarkantha have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation."

Virus samples being tested

Paediatricians of the civil hospital in Himmatnagar suspected Chandipura virus to be the cause of death of four children on July 10 and sent their samples to NIV for confirmation. Later, four more children in the hospital showed similar symptoms. Patel said, "Chandipura virus is not contagious. However, intensive monitoring has been done in the affected areas. We have examined 18,646 people in 4,487 houses. The health department is working round the clock to prevent the spread of the disease." (Input - Bhasha)

Threat of Chandipura virus increased in Rajasthan too

Two patients of Chandipura virus have been identified in Bavalwada and Nayagaon of Kherwada in Udaipur. Both the patients were undergoing treatment in Gujarat. One of the children died on 27 June. The other is undergoing treatment and is out of danger. The medical department of Udaipur has started collecting samples in villages. Entry larva activity is going on to prevent the virus from spreading to nearby children. A door-to-door survey is being conducted around the sick children.

Symptoms of Chandipura virus found in two children

Medical department's deputy CMHO Ankit Jain said that symptoms of Chandipura virus were found in two children of Kherwada and Nayagaon in Udaipur district. Both were admitted to the civil hospital in Himmatnagar, Gujarat. Blood and serum samples of both the children were sent to Pune. The deputy CMHO said that a child in Balicha village of Kherwada suddenly started having seizures. He was taken to the nearby Bhiluda CHC, from where he was referred to Himmatnagar Civil Hospital.

He died the next day. The second case is of a girl from Bavalwada village. The girl complained of vomiting, diarrhea and fever on July 5. She was referred to Himmatnagar (Gujarat). She was being treated in the ICU. Now she has been shifted to the normal ward. The girl is healthy now. CMHO Dr. Shankar Bamnia said that the health department team conducted a survey in both the areas, Kherwada and Nayagaon, on Monday.

Medical teams deployed in many areas

Inspection has been conducted in the survey of 35 houses in both the places. At present, the survey is going on and medical teams have been deployed in Kotada, Kherwada and Nayagaon areas adjacent to Gujarat by imposing special duty. A child from Balicha village died of infection during treatment in Himmatnagar, Gujarat. The child had symptoms of Chandipura virus.

The health department has become alert after the death of a child. Entry larva activity is going on to prevent the virus from spreading to the children nearby. House-to-house survey is being conducted around the sick children. Chandipura virus was identified in Chandipura village in Nagpur, Maharashtra in the year 1966. Chandipura virus is an RNA virus. This virus is mostly spread by the female phlebotomine fly. Among mosquitoes, Aedes is mostly responsible for this. Children below 15 years of age are the most affected by it.